Portable winch



May 26, 1942. c. H. K. NAPIER PORTABLE WINCH 1 Filed April 3, 1940 2Sheets-Sheet l May 26, 1942. c. H. K. NAPIER PORTABLE WINCH v FiledApril 3, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 26, 1942 UNITED- STATESPATENT OFFICE v 2,284,532

2 PORTABLE WINCH Clive Hastings Kingsley Napier, Cricklewood, England,assignor to Handley Page Limited, Cricklewood, Middlesex, England 7Application April 3, 1940, Serial No. 327,701 In Great Britain April 20,1939 6 Claims.

This invention relates'to winches,- and has for its object to providea-portable winch which can not only be used for hoisting articles intopositions to which access is difficult and where it W reaction dueto theload inthe cable to the portion of a structure, to which the winch isapplied in use, in the vicinity of the hoisting point, and anarticulated joint between the carrier and the reaction member whichenables thewinch to rest on a curved or sloping surface supported on thecarrier and the reaction member.

It is preferred to employ an articulatedjoint which permits of relativemovement of the carrier and reaction member about two axes at rightangles to one another, so as to enable the-carrier to adjust itself bothto changes in level and changes in inclination relatively to thereaction member. The winch will then be able to seat it'- self anywhereon a curvedor sloping surfaceand will always take up a position suchthat the cable runs truly over the pulley. Adaptability of the carrierto changes of inclination is then achieved by reason of thearticulatedjoint permitting of relative movement of the carrier 'and'reaction member about an axis coincident or nearly coincident with theaxis of the portion of the cable extending between the winding deviceand the pulley, while adaptability of the carrier to changes in level issecured by the articulated joint permitting also of relative movement ofthe carrier, and reaction member about an'axisat right angles to theaxis just mentioned.

It is however possible to employ an articulated joint having one pivotalaxis only, which permits of change in the relative levels of the catethe sheave block in a lateral direction or curved surfaces whilenevertheless ensuring that the cable will run freely through the pulley,the winch has further advantages. The concentration of the load on thereaction-transmitting portion of the reaction member has as aconsequence that the structure to which the winch is applied requireslocal stiffening only, in the vicinity of the hoisting point, since theremainder of the structure is only called upon to take the Weight of thewinch itself or of the Winch and the operator. Moreover the offsettingof the reaction member from the carrier renders it possible to employthe winch for hoisting loads at points to which access is difficult, asfor instance when loading bombs on aircraft.

In the preferred form of the invention, the reaction memberis-constituted by a sheave block having a projecting fitting, serving asa guide for the cable and intendedto engage a socket in the structure towhich the winch is to be applied, so as to control. the position of thecable and enable it to run truly. through the socket.

Where bombs are to be loadedby hoisting them into aircraft, so that afitting on the bomb carrier comes into exact register with a cooperatingfitting on the-bomb supportingv structure, the cable can be positionedand guided by properly placing the structure socket mentioned above,which is to receive the reaction fitting, in such a way as to ensurethat the fittings on the bomb carrier and bomb supporting structure comeaccurately into register with one another as the bomb is hoisted. i l

The reaction fitting may conveniently be constituted by a flangedspigot. This. spigot acts as a guide for the cable and helps to locatethe sheave block in the socket, so that the cable runs truly through thepulley for all axial positions of the spigot in the boreof -the socket-The flange on the spigot also helps to locate the sheave block andtransfers the load to the socket effected by the spigot alone and theflange can.

be omitted. Again in some instances the spigot can be dispensed withentirely, the lower end of the sheave block terminating simply in aflange which restson the surface, the cable passing through a hole inthe surface and acting to lo- It will be understood that although wehave referred to the use of a cable for hoisting the load, the cable canbe replaced by an equivalent flexible load carrying member, such forexample as a chain.

One particular form of portable winch suitable for loading bombs onaircraft will now be described in further detail by way of example withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspectiveview, partly broken away, of the winch, and

Fig. 2 is a section through the aircraft wing, showing the winch appliedfor the purpose of loading bombs.

The winch comprises a winding device for the cable I0, which isconstituted by a drum II fixed to a spindle I2, which is journalled in acarrier constituted by a housing I3 formed with two spaced feet I4. Asthe invention is not concerned with the details of the winding device,this will only be briefly described. For the purpose of bomb loading itis however desirable to provide an arrangement such that application ofa detachable handle I5 to the one projecting end of the spindle l2permits of turning of the drum II by a direct drive, while applicationof the handle I5 to the other end of the spindle I2 enables the drum tobe turned through an indirect gearing system. provide an attachment onthe housing I3 for enabling an electric motor to be coupled to thespindle I2 in place of the handle I5 for the purpose of power operation.A ratchet and pawl gear, indicated generallyby the reference I6,

I is provided for normally preventing rotation of the drum in thedirection to unwind the cable, this device being releasable when desiredto permit the cable to run out. It is also desirable to incorporate abrake to prevent uncontrolled rotation of the drum and also an over-loadslipping clutch so that no care is necessary during power operation bymeans of an electric motor and excessive load on the. handle can do noharm.

From the housing I3 projects a tubular strut IT within which isrotatably mounted a tubular extension I8 of a swivel fork I9, a setscrew 22 projecting through the wall of the strut I'I engages in agroove in the tubular extension I8. The 'set screw and groove preventthe extension I8 from being withdrawn axially from the tubular strut I1,while permitting of relative rotation of these two parts. The reactionmember of the winch is constituted by a sheave block 20 carrying apulley 2I serving to guide the cable and formed with a downwardlydepending tubular reaction fitting, constituted by a spigot 23 having atits upper end an outwardly extending flange 24. The swivel fork I9 iscapable of limited pivotal movement shown), and at one side of this handhole is disposed a socket 3| defining the hoisting point and serving toreceive the spigot 23. This socket 3| is rigidly, fixed to the aircraftstructure, it being so placed that its bore is perpendicular to theground when the aircraft is at rest, and, as will It is convenient alsoto release electrical connections on removal of the hand hole cover.

To the lower end of the cable is fixed a ball 32 which can be engaged onthe ground with a fitting 33 on the bomb carrier 28. After the bomb hasbeen hoisted into the position shown in Fig. 2, in which the carrier 28can be secured to the supporting structure 21, the ball 32 is releasedfrom the fitting 33 and drawn up through the socket 3|, whereupon thewinch can be removed and transferred to a fresh socket to hoist anotherbomb into position.

It will be appreciated that the articulated joint between the housing I3and sheave block 20, constituted by the horizontal pivot 25 and therotatable connection between the members I'I, I8, enables the housing I3to accommodate itself to any changes in level or inclinationnecessitated by the use of a winch-on a curved or' sloping surface.Thus, when the winch is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2its feet I4 rest at a higher level than the reaction fitting 23, thischange in level being secured by the pivotal axis 25, while when thehousing occupies thev position shown in chain-dotted lines itsinclination has also been changed, this movement being permitted byrelative rotation of the members I1, I8.

In every case the flange 24 on the reaction fitting 23 transmits thereaction due to the load on the cable to the socket 3| and the drumrests on a three-point support constituted by the flange 24 and the twofeet I4. The feet are preferably rubber covered so as to preventslipping and damage to the wing covering.

Due to the fact that the load is concentrated on the socket 3|, it isonly necessary to strengthen the wing structure in the vicinity of thissocket, no additional strengthening being required elsewhere seeing thatthe remaing portion of the wing covering need only take the weight ofthe winch and operator. The use of adaptors, location wedges, jiggedholes and the like is unnecessary thus facilitating the design of asmooth wing surface. The drum housing can be of the same radius as theswing of the handle I5, thus economising in space. As mentioned above,the handle can be made removable so that it can be stored when not inuse. 150" J The mouth 34 of the spigot 23 is preferably made ofbell-form so as to enable the cable to bepulled in and out at any angle.

Owing to the offset characteristics of the winch the hand hole 33 isvery much more accessible than is possible with the conventional form ofwinch placed more or less directly over the load.

The offsetting of the drum from the reaction fitting enables equipmentand the like to be positioned right up against the location socket 3Iwithout making bomb loading difficult. The

winch is suitable for use with light and heavy aeroplanes and, owing tothe fact that the tubular strut I! and swivel fork I9 are raised abovethe level of the feet I4 and reaction fitting 23, it will clearobstacles which would otherwise interfere with access to the locationsocket.

Although we have hitherto referred to the winch being applied to thesurface of a structure to hoist a load by a cable passing through a holein that structure, it will be understood that its usefulness is in nowise restricted to this particular application. Thus the carrier of thewinch need not of necessity rest on a continuous supporting surface, norneed the reaction membe seen, it is accessible together with the bombher be supported on the same structure as the carrier, nor need thecable necessarily pass through a hole in the structure. Thus the winchcan be used in cases where the socket, or other member for cooperatingwith the reaction member to take the reaction load of the winch, iscarried by a structure separate from that on which the carrier rests,and it will be understood that the cable can pass down over the edge ofthe structure supporting the reaction member instead of through a holein that structure.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A portable hoisting winch, comprising a winding device for the winchcable, a carrier for supporting the winding device, a foot connected tothe carrier and serving as a support therefor, an arm connected to andextending outwardly from the carrier, a hollow guide member projectingdownwardly from the arm and serving both as a fair lead for the cableand as a support for transferring the reaction due to the load in thecable to a localized area of the surface on which the winch rests, andan articulated joint connecting said arm and fair lead which permits ofrelative movement of the carrier and the fair lead about a transverseaxis at right angles to the axis of the fair lead, and allows the winchto rest in any position on any supporting surface, including a curvedand sloping surface, supported only on the foot and the fair lead andwith the cable running truly through the fair lead.

2. A portable hoisting winch, comprising a winding device for the winchcable, a carrier for supporting the winding device, an arm connected toand extending outwardly from the carrier, a hollow guide memberprojecting downwardly from the arm and serving both as a fair lead forthe cable and as a supporting foot for transferring the reaction due tothe load in the cable to a localized area of the surface on which thewinch rests, and an articulated joint connecting said arm and fair leadwhich permits relative movement of the carrier and fair lead about thelongitudinal axis of the arm and about a transverse axis at right anglesto the length of the fair lead.

3. A portable hoisting winch, comprising a winding device for the winchcable, a carrier for supporting the winding device, an arm connected toand extending outwardly from the carrier, a sheave block carried by thearm, a tubular fair lead on the sheave block for the cable projectingdownwardly from the sheave block and serving as a supporting foot fortransferring the reaction due to the load in the cable to a localizedarea of the surface on which the winch rests, and an articulated jointconnecting said arm and sheave block for permitting changes in therelative level and inclination of the carrier and sheave block.

4. A portable hoisting winch, comprising a winding device for the winchcable, a carrier for supporting the winding device, an arm extendingoutwardly from the carrier, a sheave block carried by the arm, adownwardly projecting spigot mounted on the sheave block below the armand serving both as a fair lead for the cable and as a supporting footfor transferring the reaction due to the load in the cable to alocalized area of the surface on which the winch rests, and anarticulated joint connecting said arm and sheave block for permittingchanges in the relative level and inclination of the carrier and sheaveblock.

5. A portable winch as claimed in claim 4, in which the spigot is formedwith an outwardly projecting flange which acts to transfer the reactiondue to the load in the cable to the supporting surface. v

6. A portable winch as claimed in claim 4, in which, for the purposespecified, the spigot has a mouth of bell form.

CLIVE HASTINGS KINGSLEY NAPIER.

